114. 7 Reasons Why Plans Fail
1 Don’t Have A Plan
2 Don’t Know About The Plan
3 Plan Not Clear
4 Execution Not Clear
5 Not Connected With Work
6 Not Connected With People
7
115. 7 Reasons Why Plans Fail
(and what to do about it)
R • Not Connected With People
C • Causes
E • Effects
S • Solutions
R • Results
136. 7 Reasons Why Plans Fail
1 Don’t Have A Plan
2 Don’t Know About The Plan
3 Plan Not Clear
4 Execution Not Clear
5 Not Connected With Work
6 Not Connected With People
7 Lack Of Support
137. 7 Reasons Why Plans Fail
(and what to do about it)
R • Lack Of Support
C • Causes
E • Effects
S • Solutions
R • Results
157. 7 Reasons Why Plans Fail
1 Don't Have A Plan
2 Don’t Know About The Plan
3 Plan Not Clear
4 Execution Not Clear
5 Not Connected With Work
6 Not Connected With People
7 Lack Of Support
158.
159. Action Plan
1. Which of them in your org?
2. What to do about it?
3. When?
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e: brianb@peopletoplans.com www.peopletoplans.com
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• 90 minute review
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161. Thank you for attending!
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Editor's Notes
Welcome, very excited to be sharing with you…hot topic: why plans fail and what to do about it. Before we get to that, let’s take care of some quick housekeeping…
Take notes, questions can be input in the box- they are private to me, chat is public. Jeff will be manning the chat/questions so we don’t miss anything. We will be taking all questions, and then getting to as many as we can at the end. Anything we don’t answer live, we will answer offline, and send to all of you. Please mute your microphone, handset, headset…
For those of you who don’t know me, I am Brian Brereton and I am the Managing Director of The Flow Company…we help organizations connect their people to their plans for increased results. I PROMISE I wont be salesy through this, and when we talk about our company, which is just a bot toward the end, I’ll let you know…fair enough? Again, if you have any questions, just send ‘em through as I have Jeff assisting me
So, let’s start with why we are doing this webinar, and why we continue to do it: KPMG did a survey, and they found that 85% of strategic plans fail…85%! Harvard Business Review then surveyed executives…and their findings were rather close as well. Only 19% said they actually hit the objective, 34& got any kind of a return on their investment…and look at that the plans only motivated 25% of the executives…and we wonder why we are not getting the results? That’s probably good enough reason to take a look at it how the planning and implementation process affects YOUR organization..
Today we will look at 7 reasons plans fail to live up to the expectations we all have…and…
Of course we will look at what to do about it. We will look at them all in this same format: for every reason we will look at some common causes, their effects on the organization (in other words, how do we KNOW this is a problem?) and then a couple items to help solve it, and finally what the result would be if you could overcome this particular challenge.
At the end of each section, when we come across this symbol, we will have a moment to recap and I’d like you take a moment and reflect on the section we just covered, and jot down whether what we talked about is relevant in your organization…if it speaks to you, write it down…you can use the handout if you downloaded it, or just take notes on a sheet of paper, or your computer, or your hand…wherever you want! So, let’s get right into it then..
Don’t Have a Plan…believe it or not, we come across companies that just don’t have a plan
Again, the format we will follow is…
Too busy – we are doing enough to get by, never find the time to do proper planning
We did one before, it didn’t really work. Or we really didn’t know how; so we stopped
Maybe too expensive-went offsite, hired someone. Its just not in our budget; we cant seem to justify it
Reflect
So, what is the effect on the organization by not having a plan?
No unifying direction. In the absence of direction, People are doing what they THINK they should do
Even if they have a bit of direction, they don’t know where to start, or what is important, …no way to prioritize
People are busy, sometimes VERY busy vs. adding value to the organization
Reflect
So let’s look at what can we do about it
Get some assistance and guidance and wisdom on planning, plans…the process itself…seek out others who have done a plan for different situations, different ways of planning
Recommend hiring a professional; A professional facilitator worth their weight in gold…guiding you! But they should be engaging, maybe not as entertaining as this guy and experienced…don’t try this at home,
Structured process…that’s what a pro brings to the table, lots of processes, one of them bound to suit your need…find something that YOU are comfortable with
Reflect- remember, we can help you find someone, if you need; we work with people
If we actually do these things, what will we get?
HAVE a strategy; a framework in which to operate
Have a direction for the company. A destination has been identified and with direction you might even achieve some success!
Breathe a sigh of relief…Like a graduate, you’ve earned the result…you have a plan! Of course, like the graduate, it is what we do with it that matters…as we shall soon see.
Reflect, accomplishment, especially if you haven't had one, or a not so good one…and even better, you might have been the one s..
The next reason is people don’t KNOW about the plan. This one is pretty common as you will see…
As we take a look at What causes people to not know…
It is simply a requirement. Maybe it satisfies the board, or you have a government mandate and you MUST have a plan, or you need it for fundraising in a non-profit
Management likes to get away once a year, it feels good to take the break and go away…it feels really good to plan...so they are offsite…and no one else knows what is happening!
We don’t communicate it; sure we have one but it sits on a shelf somewhere and no one talks about it (non-profit example HERE..top exec didn’t know the plan) its like it is a big secret
Reflect
What does that do to an organization?...when people don’t know about our plans?
People get cynical; it’s like: here comes the plan…we know nothing will become of it, just like nothing became of it last year…or the year before…or the year before that…
People get cynical; it’s like: here comes the plan…we know nothing will become of it, just like nothing became of it last year…or the year before…or the year before that…
Wasting people’s time, wasting money, a whole lot of wasted efforts and resources that went INTO the plan each time
Results usually don’t match our WONDERFUL PLAN!
Reflect
Well, what can we do about it?
Pretty simple really; start sharing the plan? How becomes the important question..? One of the ways…well we love turning a plan into a big graphic that can be posted somewhere everyone can see it (or they can have their own little versions too!)
Recruitas many people in the process as you can-if they create it, much better chance of buy in. Can even simply send to people who weren't there, so they can review, prior to implementation. That simple act can have profound effect on the plan
Revisit the plan at regular intervals, bake it into your process from the start that as a group you will look at it regularly…this is where the professional will have helped you with a follow-on process
ReflectNEED HELP, for the graphic we know people…
So now what will we get?
Everyone knows what, and where, it is…people can actually find the plan…they know about it, and that is a good thing
They may even be talking about it and discussing it among themselves-always a good thing..you have caused a buzz
With regular attention to the plan, and looking at results vs. the plan, you might even get a better result or two!
Reflect
Our next reason is the plan is not CLEAR…oh yeah, we have one, and people know about it but…
Why does this happen?
It’s not specific enough. This is the plan with no meat on it…like the one that was done to satisfy a requirement…its all gobbledygook and no one really understands it!
Too complex. (example:I recently saw a plan where the numbers didn’t add up…1, 2 and 3 year goals on a 3 year plan that didn’t match!)…AND it was page upon page of info; Binders full of pages…
Or you look at it, and you think…NO WAY! Wholly unrealistic plans (like the retreat base dones…hey! It’s fun to make big goals!)…kind of like making an exercise plan for someone else
Reflect
And the effect on an organization looks like…
Clarity goes out the window; no one know who is responsible for achieving what…or when
Stress, added stress of I know I should be accomplishing something, but not sure what
Adds up to a lot of wasted resources in time, energy and money…and we get to do it every year! Yeah! CABO WABO next year baby!
Reflect
So how do we tackle these?
This typically comes down to :have a process and a structure to walk through …usually by Hiring a professional, a professional facilitator will
Simplify your plan…not binders full of stuff that no one will ever read…our favorite plan (like the LSI people use) fits on one page and can be used for everything from a small mom and pop to a multi-national corporation…yes, all on one page! (11x17, so it’s a fairly larger than normal page but nonetheless…
And please don’t rush it. Our most valuable advice to you on this. If it takes days to get it right, so be it…do it right
Reflect(WE KNOW PEOPLE HO CAN HELP with the process)
Lets look at what we get with a clear plan
People are clear on where we are heading, we have provided a road map
Resources have been identified..,might not have them at the moment but at least you know what you need to be successful!
Like a runner in the starting blocks, you are well positioned for success
Reflect…(RECAP) where are we now? We have a plan….people are actually talking about our plan…we used a professional and a great process and our plan is clear…what could stop us now?
Ahhh…the plan IS clear…how we are going to execute the plan…that is giving people the trouble…….
And how do we find out/see this in an org, because This is actually pretty common and lets find out why…
We did our vision…we did our mission…we did our goals and objectives…but we ran out of time to really develop the action plans…oh we did ‘em, but spent more time dreaming of our glorious future…
The people who are actually going to EXECUTE the plans…yeah, they weren't involved in the planning process…
The plan doesn’t really outline WHO is responsible for making it happen
Reflect
We see this a LOT in organizations…orgs that have done some great planning and really put in the time and effort…
You find lots of busy people…lots of ACTIVITY… may or may not be much PRODUCTIVITY
It’s just plain frustrating, and it shows on the workers faces…they really care…they really want to get stuff done…just don’t really know HOW..
You might actually be getting results…of course no one really knows HOW we got them…it’s all a bit of lady luck in play..
Reflect
How an we eliminate that from our organization?
A plan is not a plan until there are CLEAR ACTION STEPS…we see LOTS that stop just short, OR the people are sent off to develop them later…that is not good..
Tear down the walls, involve everyone or as many as you can…remember involvement creates buy in, and with more buy in, you increase your chance of success.
We have defined, so lets go ahead and allocate the needed resources to actually get the work done (new computer? New software? Heck…a new facility? New people?) whatever it takes
Reflect
If we do it right, what do we get?
People love it when a plan comes together! (sorry to all the young people who don’t get the A-team reference, but that is what Wikipedia is for…)
The path is clear…people can see the future and EXACTLY what it will take to get there!
I can now put things on my to-do list, which will bring me one step closer to taccomplishing he goals
Reflect-Disclaimer here, in the sense of full disclosure…these next two, number 5 and 6, is what we do…we help companies fix these, so you I just might mention us as one of the solutions….
The plan is not connected to the work people are doing…let see what that is all about
Lets take a look at some of the reasons the plan isn't connected to the work being done…
The plan isn't integrated into the day to day “stuff” we do…it is as if the work exists…and there is the plan over there…
Worse than that…finding out you now have TWO to-do lists; I have mine, and now I have an additional one with all the action steps from this plan…
That’s just more work…and I love having more work…double work, whatever…
Reflect-these are the trickiest ones because we think up to now we’ve been doing a good job planning…very easy to derail here without foresight and addressing it specifically
So what does this look like in an organization
You will typically see it in subpar results; I can either do my work…or do some plan stuff…but not both!
People feel burned out…it is just too much to handle…never seem to get out from under the crushing weight of things to do!
People start disengaging at that point, morale is poor…they really and truly do “switch off”
Reflect
There are a few ways to ensure this doesn’t happen, or to solve it if it already exists…
Involve everyone. The more the merrier as they say. Involved in the process, you can typically figure most of this out while planning; but if the plan is made and then handed to people…that is when it bottlenecks
OK, this is us. We work with teams to create a unique visual map that shows each person, their work and how it affects the overall plans….pretty powerful stuff, sometimes just creating the map is enough to spur people on because at this point they can see that what they do is important.
Rather than just dumping the plans on people, make sure that everyone is in agreement…I know this is easier said than done, but again, this is where we come in. As part of working with teams, we ensure everyone is one the same page…we seek clarity, and then ensure everyone is agreement on their part in the plan
Reflect- this is the stuff we help with, we have an entire business built around just helping with these pieces..
Tremendous impact on an organization when this starts to happen and the plan is connected to the actual work
People can SEE the connection between what they do and where the company is heading, and see how everyone else’s work matters too!
See the impact they and their work is having on the organization
People KNOW what is expected…not a guess anymore…don’t have to wait for my review, I can SEE how I am doing and I have the confidence to KNOW I am working on the important things each day…isn't that all anyone really wants from their work?
Reflect, AGAIN, this next one is crucial to an organization, I think it is THE most important step…and yes, it is what we do…and we see huge impact by getting this right. Very easy to get wrong and it is:
The plan is not connected to the PEOPLE…ok it is connected to the tasks, but not to the actual people
Why would that happen…look carefully and you might even see yourself in here…
No one ever asked what is important to them…think about that; when was the last time someone asked what was important to you…OR, if you manage others, when was the last time you really took the time to find out from others what was important to them?
Assuming others are just like us…and that they have the same motivations as us…
People who have grown not to care, yes, lets be clear, they Just don’t really care…nothing really to get excited about…it is JUST A JOB…and I’m just putting in my time…Why would I care, when no onecares about me? They are truly not engaged in their work
Reflect
I'm sure I don’t need to tell you a lot about what this looks like in the workplace…
People may not give it their worst…but they sure as heck aren't going to give it their best!
People may not give it their worst…but they sure as heck aren't going to give it their best!
Morale is low…its hard to be motivated when you just don’t care that much, or you don’t think you are appreciated or that others care about you or your work..
The minimum amount of work gets done…
Reflect-We see this in more organizations than we care to…
Can it be solved? Again, full disclosure…we run a business around this…
INTENTIONALLY identify what is important to people, find out what excites and drives them…we do an exercise with groups or individuals we work with that really gets to the heart of what is important about what they are doing…(NON_PROFIT EXAMPLE…CONNECTING WHAT They do FULL VERSION
Yup, same visual…its what we do. Our map connects WHAT people are doing, with WHY they are doing it…it is truly a powerful thing, we can show you how to learn more about whether that is right for your org later…People can see what is important to them at a department, team or individual level…and its personal to them
How often do we forget to regularly share and celebrate the wins, the small victories…the things that make our work rewarding…
Reflect
Truly awesome things happen when the people feel connected to the plans…
Improved morale…people may even be having (gasp!) ..dare I say it…fun!
Inspired people who care, DO more…they go above and beyond the call of duty…(aaron’s delivery people storiy?)
And of course, now that we have a plan that resonates with and gets people excited, our results REALLY improve…good things happen..
Isn’t that what we want? Motivated people, inspired to do their best and achieving great results…sounds like it should be a part of our plan?Let’s take a stop here because the way I see it, if we have all made it this far with our plans, we must be invincible! (lol) I mean, we have a plan, put together with the help of professionals. We have involved everyone and they all gave input. It is THEIR plan. It is crystal clear, we have simplified it, it is understandable. The action steps are there, and we have fully integrated it into the day to day work…so we are always working towards the plan. AND we have connected everyone (thanks to The Flow Company) and we are all excited, energized and ready to go…so what, exactly could possible get in our way???
Yup, believe it or not…after all that. Lack of Support. (and yes, you can get this far and really NOT have support!)
How does THAThappen?
Poor leadership. There. I said it! (lol) Seriously, insecure leaders, leaders who have never really had to lead, leaders who give lip servuice, but then get in the way….all can get in the way as they cling to their old ways
The understanding of each other's importance to the organization is not there...there may be quarreling between departments, infighting., lack of communication..
a culture that isn't supportive...we have seen this in some very "successful from the outside" companies...they have developed a culture of throwing people under the bus, or "C.Y.A"..which we all know means cover your BUTT
Reflect
its' too bad because with all the other hard work and good being done, it looks like this..
people feeling they cant get what they need to get the job done, because there is no support...it’s like doing their jobs without the proper tools to do it...a very frustrating thing
HUGE waste –remember all that time money, energy and effort we put in? Its all been wasted
People may choose to leave the organization...but don't worry, it will be easy to find the good ones as only the GOOD ones will leave...subpar/mediocre people wont mind sticking around until that is all you have!
Reflect
can this lack of leadership, or poor culture actually be turned around? sure, but it will take some specialized help
We can't recommend enough...high visibility. with high visibility comes transparency, with transparency comes understanding and compassion...again, we don't do these large graphics, but we work with folks who do, so ask us for a recommendation
Yup...us again. Our map not only shows what people do ni relation to the plan, it also shows how people are interconnected, and shows how we can each help each other get things done...and shows the support I need, and others need, to do the job at hand. And its okay to ask for help, because my map shows I need it...from YOU
If we are going to make their work highly visible, why not the results as well? No matter the position, we help find ways to make results visible...its built into The Flow Process we use, and can be pulled right from inside The Flow Maps...but don't wait for us to start: find something that matters and post a simple graph of how it is doing...sometimes the act of looking each day will improve the result!
Reflect
Hang on a second…We have a plan, people know about it, its clear where we are heading and how to get there, its clear how we will execute, its integrated into our daily work, we are excited about it and we are all helping each other be successful...so what does THAT look like?
High performance is happening EVERYWHERE; imagine, high performing individuals, making up high performing teams, which are part of high performing departments and divisions and the entire organization!
a supportive and fun culture where people work together to achieve great things...and it is OK to ask for help, and give help, where needed
Strongly Positioned and have THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY for success at this point...and you might even have a lot of fun along the way (winning IS fun!)
Does THAT sound like a good place to work...is that YOUR place? Would you like it to be? There are orgs doing it RIGHT now...and if they compete with you, they will win EVERY time...not because they have a better product, or better pricing; no, because their people are 100% dedicated and empowered and have clarity...
There are the 7, and we have talked about wehat to do if you have no plan, how to get people to know about the plan, how to ensure the plan is clear, the path to execution is colear. Also, what to do if people feel overwhlmed by all this “new work” and how to get them to buy into the plan and believe in it and then how to make sure we provide the support to achieve the results…if you missed any and want to write them down, OR take a moment and circle the top three that challenge you...going to look at some questions,
We have a LOT of questions, so lets look at a couple that Jeff found that really seem to stand out….and remember, just use that question box up top...any questions we don't answer, we will send to everyone, and we will of course send the q and a's we DO answer...then we will wrap up, including an action step of everyone, so don't go yet..
I would like everyone to do this...and decide to take action, or get help. remember, you are not alone...if you were people wouldn't keep coming this same webinar! lollIf you need a resource, just ask...we wont try to sell you anything, we want to help you. if we end up doing business together, that's great, but it is not the point of connecting with you...we connect to help, and we hope you do to
so, how can we help? well, here is our offer to you (no one else gets this, I promise)Okay, we will end with our details up on screen, clear up the questions and chat for few more moments, I hope to hear from everyone...we will send you 1. the survey for feedback, the offer, the link to slideshare foer the presentation as well as the link to the recording...bye now! have a great day...and go connect with people!
